Heads up-The NF Stilly needs your help

As was mentioned at the last WSC general meeting by Brian Simonseth the Stillaguamish Implementation Review Committee (SIRC) is trying to get the money they need to from the state to by pass the Steelhead Heaven Slide. We need to get our letter writing going on this. Below is an sample letter that you can use. Just put your senator or representative's name in and your name and address at the bottom. thank you JJ


Dear <Representative or Senator>,

I am writing to urge you to support and insure that matching funds from the Washington State Ecology's Centennial Grant or Salmon Recovery Funding Board are provided this year for the Restoration of the Hazel/Steelhead Haven slide on the North Fork of the Stillagaumish.

This single expenditure of money would provide a dramatic reduction of silt and clay from a manmade exasperated slide that has in filled spawning beds and pools through out the river down to the clam beds in the estuary. These matching sources would finalize the engineering, design and construction of a log jam that would alter the course of the river for the fish and wildlife populations and bring this stream closer to its pristine pre-disturbance state. Currently the Salmon Recovery Funding Board does not fund engineered log jams and therefore any influence that you can provide to change this would be greatly appreciated.

The NF of the Stilly has been written up by Zane Grey for its famed wild Deer Creek steelhead and was one of the first in the nation to go fly fishing only and ultimately to a catch and release for native fish. To further strengthen the arena, the WRIA 5 Watershed is fortunate to have the synergy of an organized local group called Stillaguamish Implementation Review Committee (SIRC) from all relevant Federal, State,local and tribal agencies plus the actual stakeholders made up of Federation of Fly Fishers, stakeholder landowners and environmentalists. SIRC has been involved in the Army Corps of Engineers Ecosystems restoration project since the late 1990s. The Hazel/Steelhead Haven slide project has been identified as the key project necessary for a successful ecosystems restoration strategy. The money was authorized through congress to address these projects in that strategy, but the monies have yet to be appropriated for the Hazel/Steelhead Haven slide.

The key to accessing that money is to assure that we can secure local funding to match the federal monies!

We hope you will support our efforts in the state legislature to restore this once world renowned fly fishing river back to its one time inspirational character of deep clear pools full of wild fish. The future economic sustainability will only be hardened through the investments we make today reducing the sediment problems in the Stillaguamish.

Anybody helping out with the Stilly by taking a few minutes to send a letter or are we to busy fishing. Sent mine in and went fishing.

This rain out to help those slides, NOT!
sent one in for the fish.